When a Student Dies

When a student dies, we in the campus community hear about it through
word of mouth, or read of it in campus announcements or in a newspaper.
And then, too often, we go about our lives as someone (usually we have
only a hazy idea of who) takes care of the difficult tasks that accompany
such a death. A chronicling of the major events in the days since Adrian
Heideman died on October 7 cannot begin to tell the human side of the
story of those who dealt directly with the tragedy. It can reveal, perhaps,
how much it demands and how many people work in concert to respond.

Tyler Miller, assistant resident director at Konkow Hall, first got
the news that a resident student had died. A little before 3 a.m. on October
7, Adrian Derek Heideman was pronounced dead of an apparent alcohol overdose
at Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. Konkow has a staff on call around the clock.

The Chico Police Department arrived at Konkow to secure Adrian's room,
waking his roommate and telling him the news. Immediately, Miller called
John Lauer, associate director of housing, who called Eddie Bankston,
director of housing, who was scheduled to leave town that morning. Lauer
went to campus and the residence hall and then to the fraternity.

At around 7 a.m., Connie Huyck, the Student Activities Office's Greek
adviser, was called, and she also came to campus. From that time on and
throughout the weekend, Lauer and Huyck worked nonstop -- meeting with
Adrian's friends, housemates, and fraternity members, taking care of logistics,
and talking to university administration and, by late morning, to the
media.

Don Graham, director of Psychological Counseling, had been contacted
early in the morning, and he and counselors went to Konkow and the fraternity
to meet with students. Huyck said, "The staff of the counseling center
provided, and continue to provide, grief counseling to students. I have
talked with many students, and they are thankful for their compassionate
efforts."

Lauer made the first university contact with Adrian's parents, Mike
and Edie Heideman, after the Palo Alto authorities had told them of their
son's death. He remained in close contact with them throughout the weekend
and through the following week. He arranged accommodations for them in
Chico, took care of arrangements, set up meetings, and answered their
questions.

By Saturday evening and Sunday morning, media from Sacramento, San Francisco,
and Oakland were calling and traveling to Chico. Lauer and Huyck, new
to roles as spokespersons with the media, fielded questions about events
leading up to the death and interpreted questions about drinking among
college students, in general, and at CSU, Chico, specifically.

On Sunday, Lauer, Huyck, and Paul Moore, vice president for Student
Affairs, met the Heide-mans and accompanied them to Konkow, where Adrian's
house-mates had set up a memorial of messages, pictures, flowers, and
candles. The housemates and later the fraternity members, with Lauer and
Huyck present, talked with the parents and answered Edie's questions,
not just about what happened, but about who her son had been to them.

On Monday morning, Lauer went with President Manuel A. Esteban to meet
with the parents. "It is something no parent should have to go through.
I never want this to happen again," said Esteban afterward.

After meeting with the president, Lauer, Huyck, and two members of Pi
Kappa Phi met with the parents. The Heidemans asked more questions. Lauer
described the fraternity members as being forthcoming and open in their
answers about what had transpired and about Adrian's time with the fraternity.

On Monday, Shauna Quinn, program manager of the Campus Alcohol and Drug
Education Center, began taking many calls from the press. "We have told
students again and again that they cannot leave the side of a friend who
has overconsumed alcohol," said Quinn. She talked about the sense of invincibility
that young people have and about the myths that surround alcohol use:
how much alcohol it takes to put someone in danger, how past experience
of "nothing happening" is no predictor of what will happen the next time,
and about how individuals handle alcohol differently.

Esteban met with Student Affairs personnel, including Herman Ellis,
assistant vice president for Student Life, and Rick Rees, associate director
of Student Activities. Esteban made the decision to suspend Pi Kappa Phi
immediately until investigations into the death were complete.

Rees, the Greek adviser before Huyck, began answering the many calls
from media relating to suspension and the rules governing organizations
and their relationship to the university. Through Tuesday and Wednesday,
media continued to call. Student Affairs personnel began collecting suggestions
for increased university responses to student alcohol and drug abuse.
Huyck guided fraternity members and friends as they organized a memorial
service for Wednesday evening.